Must I choose just one??

Last night (or should I say early this morning?), the 2 1/2 week long celebration of my 40th birthday finally culminated with a fabulously over indulgent wine and cheese party followed by three hours of the type of dancing better suited to someone much younger than I.  (I woke up after only 4 1/2 hours of sleep with throbbing ankles and could barely make it down the stairs due to uncooperative knees.) 

It's so difficult to pinpoint just one thing that made yesterday fabulous.  I'd spent the day with Childhood Twin, and later Sis, planning strategy and preparing food, and at the party my friends were wonderfully sweet and excessively generous - even my Super Woman friend who'd just had a baby six days ago showed up with homemade veggie pizza and baby in tow! I received thoughtful, funny, and poignantly moving cards and gifts...  I was definitely feeling the love.

But the one thing that made this night truly memorable was how these friends (from work, childhood, church, my neighborhood, and even my dentist's office) who were complete strangers to each other prior to last night all came together to laugh and chat and bond over (I'm amused to admit) Riesling and triple cream brie and buffalo chicken dip and liqueur flavored mini cheesecakes.

Super Woman regaled a captive audience with tales of childbirth - Smokin' Hot Neighbor shared her usual witty quips and crack ups - Sis got everyone smiling as she snapped candid photos - Childhood Twin kept the candlelight and conversation flickering - Single-But-Supposedly-Married Mom flaunted her gorgeous guns - and then later, Sassy Pants set the dance floor (and several dance partners) on fire, encouraging even Sis to get out there and shake her groove thing.  And as I gazed fuzzily through my wine-haze at these beautiful women who were all enjoying each other now as much as I enjoy all of them, I marveled at how an evening that had originally made me somewhat uneasy (thanks to my inability to play hostess to everyone all at once) had far surpassed my expectations to become truly one of the happiest experiences of my life. 

Of course it only makes sense that my friends would love each other as much as I love all of them.  But actually seeing it happen was the best birthday gift of all.  And it was an absolutely FABULOUS night.